On June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published an article reporting on the first cases of the disease we now know as AIDS. On June 5, 2011, we observe the 30th anniversary of this discovery.

Over the past 30 years, scientists have made great strides in the fight against AIDS, including identifying HIV, the virus that causes AIDS; the development of an HIV test and more than 30 antiretroviral medications to treat HIV/AIDS; and scientific discoveries that have contributed toward progress in the development of an HIV vaccine.

In commemoration of the 30th anniversary, many organizations are reflecting on the past three decades as well as focusing on the future:

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director of NIAID, and Carl W. Dieffenbach, Ph.D., Director of the NIAID Division of AIDS, published an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine discussing long-term HIV/AIDS research goals.

June 8, 2011, marks the sixth annual Caribbean-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which is a community-based initiative that encourages HIV/AIDS education, testing, and treatment in Caribbean communities. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Caribbean has been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and has the second highest adult HIV prevalence rates after sub-Saharan Africa.

AIDSinfo has developed a specialty page in observance of this awareness day that includes information and resources about HIV/AIDS for Caribbean communities.